


Naked Truths

by CaliKayeTylers



Category: the GazettE (Band)
Genre: M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:27:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22912471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaliKayeTylers/pseuds/CaliKayeTylers
Summary: A photoshoot can be life changing.
Relationships: Kai/Ruki (the GazettE)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Naked Truths

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!   
> This is a short fic inspired by artwork by Mysano_pH (Twitter). I spend a lot of time staring at this hanging on my wall and one night this idea popped into my head that I knew I needed to write. This is the piece it's based on --> https://www.instagram.com/p/BxsYeK6iB8m/?igshid=1fesh4vnamj8b
> 
> Please check out the rest of her work on   
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mysano_pH?s=09  
> And  
> Instagram: https://instagram.com/mysano_velvet?igshid=nodl17c3m4zk 🙏🏼🙏🏼
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this small piece of Kaiki fluff 🥰

Takanori loved art, in all forms, but especially fanart. Though he never commented, he sometimes spent hours in the bath scrolling through all of the artwork their fans had tagged them in. The amount of time and energy and obvious  _ passion  _ these artists had put into their work constantly blew his mind. They gained nothing from doing this, but they loved GazettE enough to spend their valuable time creating things like this. He always wished there was a way to express how grateful he was to them. 

Even the more risque art and the so called shipping art stole his attention. He found himself drawn with Akira more than anyone else. Takanori always laughed, wondering how the fans would feel if they knew the bassist was going home to his wife every night. Still, he could appreciate the talent and hard work. Some of the pieces he'd come across of Yuu and Kouyou had left him needing a cold shower. Apparently their fans were heavy into "Aoiha" and honestly, they weren't far off. The two guitarists had been dating for awhile, but he couldn't imagine awkward Kouyou in most of the outfits and positions they'd drawn him in. Awkward duck. He could be sexy, but most of the time he was just...weird. Takanori understood why Akira and Kouyou had become best friends. They both had this strange positivity towards life, and found a way to enjoy every minute of it. Takanori envied them for it. 

Fanworks of Yutaka seemed to come in two flavors: cute and submissive or heavy dominance. While their drummer was evil, and he had admitted to liking his part in Inside Beast, he truly was more to the cute side of things in real life. He could be stern when it came to work, but he was, to put it nicely, such a dork. A weird dork. Just about the time Takanori thought he knew what Yutaka was like, he'd find out a new thing. Like how the drummer liked tropical fish because they were colorful but also hoarded books on the occult and other creepy things. Yutaka was a walking, talking enigma that dug under Takanori's skin like an itch be just couldn't scratch enough. 

Though  _ that _ was his own secret.

Takanori laid his head against the back of the jacuzzi tub, scrolling through a few more photos. He'd just about clicked out of Instagram when a flash of red caught his eye. Clicking on the artwork, he was taken to the artist's profile. It didn't take but a few scrolls for him to be impressed, and he went back to the first picture. Generally Takanori steered clear of fanworks of himself. They made him feel too conflicted. On one hand he felt honored that someone had taken the time to draw him, but at the same time it felt like they didn't see him. It felt like they had drawn someone else. Akira had told him that this feeling was his own self-consciousness. He'd said Takanori refused to see himself the way other people did and that's why it felt so impersonal. But how could he? At first he'd found art based on his stage presence and he could see that. On stage he looked different, less boring, but later on he'd run across artists portraying  _ him.  _ So casually drawing him without makeup or costume and they made him look good that way. It was like they wouldn't acknowledge that he didn't look like that and maybe it hurt him a bit; shook his confidence. If these people, his fans, ever saw plain old Takanori they would probably be horrified. Actually...they probably wouldn't even recognize him. 

He sighed, pulling himself out of that tailspin and focusing once again on the artwork before him. This one did focus on him, obviously more recent as his hair was short and blondish. His back was turned, song titles from their last album written on the wall and across his bare skin. He loved how it looked, clean and a bit dark. This would make an amazing photoshoot, but there was no way he'd ever have the guts to do it. 

After taking a screenshot of the picture and profile, Takanori sat his phone on the table beside the tub and sank down into the water. 

________________________

Two weeks had passed and Takanori hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that drawing. He’d found himself staring at it off and on almost daily and his thoughts strayed to it even when he was supposed to be focused elsewhere. Why  _ couldn’t  _ he do this as a photoshoot? There was nothing wrong with him physically, and they had done that one shoot where they’d all wrapped up in white sheets. All that would show was his back. That wasn’t too much? Right? Would their fans reject it? It seemed like the artwork was popular online, but would they still like it if he showed himself this way? There were too many questions, and he’d never done anything like this alone. He remembered the Melt pamphlet and the shots Akira had done shirtless. Maybe he would be able to give him some advice. 

Takanori waited until they broke for lunch and followed Yuu and Akira to the studio kitchen. The two were laughing about something, Yuu making some dumb impression. 

“Heyyyy Aki-chan!” He called, walking in behind them. Akira visibly flinched. 

“Oh no you don’t, you little gremlin. Yesterday it was “Akira, you dumbass” and now you call me Aki-chan? What do you want?” Akira asked, turning around to lean against the counter, arms crossed over his chest. 

The vocalist clicked his tongue, batting his eyes at the bassist. “You were being a dumbass though… And I don’t want anything! Only advice. I just have a couple of questions.”

Yuu leaned over, hands on his hips, until his face was even with Takanori's. "And your hands will be kept to yourself?"

"It's no one's fault but your own if I have to get violent Shiroyama."

"Okay, okay. Stop. Geez, you are violent."

Takanori smiled sweetly at the bassist. "Yeah, but I'm small, so it's cute. I can get away with it."

Yuu scoffed, rolling his eyes and waving his hand. "I gotta get out of here if he's going to be saying this bullshit. Good luck Aki." He said, leaving them alone in the kitchen. 

"Alright, you violent short stack. Ask your questions." Akira chuckled, moving to start the coffee machine again. 

"Remember back when we did the photoshoot for the Melt pamphlet? You uh, you did those photos...shirtless. What did that feel like? Was it weird? I'm sure the fans were positive about it, right? I mean you look...you're good looking so I'm sure they didn't mind it, right?"

Akira blinked at him a few times, a confused look settling on his face. "Umm…that was a long time ago. I don't really remember how it felt doing it. The reaction was positive, but I don't really remember much. Why are you asking about this anyway?"

Takanori shrugged, focusing on his feet. "Oh I just- I've been thinking about it lately. About how it might feel."

"Are you thinking about doing a shoot like that? What's brought this on?"

"Kinda? I found this drawing and it's been on my mind a lot. I thought it would make a cool photoshoot but I don't even know how to go about doing it, or if I could go through with it. The idea is insane anyway. Nobody would want to see it. I'll just shove it into the rejected ideas drawer and move on. Thanks Aki."

Akira caught his arm as he tried to turn away. "I don't think that's true. I think you should do it. But honestly, why don't you go talk to Yutaka? He's done shoots like this more than me. He'll give you good advice."

Takanori chuckled, albeit nervously. "Talk to Yuta about it? Ah, no I think it's best to put it to bed. Anyway, I'm gonna go get something from the vending machine downstairs before we get back to work. See you in a bit."

No way in hell was he asking Yutaka about taking half naked photos.

__________________________

“Yo, Taka. Wait up a second.”

Takanori turned around as he pulled his pack of cigarettes from his bag. He’d thought everyone had gone home before him but apparently he’d been wrong. Maybe he could bum a ride off of Yutaka instead of taking the bus. That thought in mind, he turned around to face the drummer. 

“What’s up? I thought everyone had left already.”

Yutaka gripped the straps of his backpack and shrugged. Takanori had to admit he was distracted by the way his black t-shirt pulled tight across his shoulders. “Not everyone, obviously. I was handing over my design ideas for the bear set you wanted to do for the anniversary live. I finished early and knew I’d lose it. Anyway, Akira said you wanted to talk to me about something. Do you want a ride home?”

_ Fucking Akira! _

“Uh, sure. Yeah that would be great. Thanks.” Takanori had to look away from Yutaka’s million megawatt smile before he could start blushing like an idiot. He made his way around the Mercedes SUV and climbed up into the passenger seat. He loved Yutaka’s vehicle. It always smelled like warm leather, just sitting in the seat felt like being hugged, but the best part? The drummer never cared when he put his feet up on the dashboard, unlike Akira who would all but shove him out of the moving car. “So...what exactly did Akira tell you that I wanted to talk to you about?”

Yutaka started the engine and put the vehicle in reverse. “Not much. He said you were asking him about the Melt photos. Said you should talk to me because I’ve done the most shoots partially clothed.” He laughed, the sound hitting Takanori square in the chest. He loved hearing him laugh. “But I don’t understand why you would be asking about that kind of thing. I haven’t done that for a long time, and don’t worry, I have no intentions of doing it again. I’m not so young anymore. Were you worried that I’d want to take more photos like that?”

If only he could tell Yutaka how much he would  _ love  _ for the drummer to take more of those photos. Even if just for him. 

“What? No. No, that’s not why I was asking at all. I think you could totally still do them though.” Takanori could see Yutaka rolling his eyes, passing his comment off as innocent. “No, I was actually wondering if you remembered doing the photos? Did you like doing them? Did it feel weird?”

“Nah, it didn’t feel weird at all, but like I said, I looked a lot better back then. I liked it at the time and the reactions to them were kind of a confidence boost. I think if I looked more like Akira I’d do them again. But why are you asking? Have you been looking through old photo books again?”

Takanori sat back in his seat, fidgeting with his fingers. “Not quite. I’ve actually been thinking of doing a few photos like that myself. I found a piece of artwork that I’d love to make into a photoshoot but I don’t know if I could pose half naked for it.”

Yutaka, to his credit, didn't laugh at him and Takanori was more than grateful for that. He couldn't have handled that. "Do you have a picture of the artwork? Could I see it?"

“Uh, sure. I have it saved.” He answered, opening up his phone’s gallery to find the photo. Every time he looked at the drawing he felt more and more compelled to do  _ something  _ and he hoped that he was on the right track with a photoshoot. After finding the picture, Takanori handed his phone over to Yutaka who waited until they stopped at a red light to steal a glance at it. 

Yutaka’s dark eyes roamed over the photo, his fingers zooming in on certain places then back, before he had to drive again. “This is a beautiful piece of work. I can see why it drew your eye. Honestly, I think it would make an amazing photoshoot. Maybe you could do it as a special run for your birthday? Sell it through Nil as a small poster? I’d definitely buy one.”

Takanori was blushing up to his ears and beyond thankful that Yutaka had to keep his eyes on the road so he wouldn’t see. Why did he always have to say things like that? Didn’t he see it was embarrassing? 

“You uh, you really think I should do it? Or maybe I could change it a bit and have Kouyou as the subject? Or even Yuu. I think people would respond better to them being in the photo instead.”

“What? No way, Taka. It has to be you. And I know the fans will love it. Although, I think you should do red gloves instead of white.”

Takanori frowned, a bit confused. “Why do you say that?”

A smile slid on to the drummer’s lips. “Because it would put your own little twist into the photo, and because I love those red gloves. Like the ones you wore during Ugly? They’re a personal favorite of mine, right after the little black ones you wore for BIAB 2. I think those were my favorite.”

It took a handful of moments for Takanori to even be able to think straight enough to speak. Yutaka remembered all that? He hadn’t even been aware the drummer noticed what he wore. “You remember what I wore twelve years ago?”

Yutaka chuckled. “I remember every outfit you’ve ever worn. I pay attention.”

“Do you remember everyone else’s outfits too?”

The drummer was quiet for a moment and his voice was quiet when he answered. “Not really. A few, the ones I really liked, but for the most part, no. Only yours. I do spend a lot of time watching you since you’re always in front of me.”

This conversation was making Yutaka nervous. Takanori could tell but wasn’t sure why. “Ah, I guess that makes sense. Well, I’m going to talk to our manager and see if he can get ahold of the artist to see if they’d be willing to let me copy their work. Then would you...be willing to come help me with the actual photoshoot?”

“Oh, of course. I’d love to help. I really hope that you do this Taka. I think it would come out beautifully.”

Those words were really all he needed to push himself over the edge. Every doubt he’d been harboring over the week was pushed from his mind just by hearing Yutaka’s words of encouragement. The drummer being with him during the photoshoot sounded nerve wracking, but at the same time, Takanori knew his presence would be comforting. 

__________________________________

“They’ve got the backdrop all set up. It looks great. How are you doing in here?” 

Takanori looked up to find Yutaka standing in the doorway, but frowned seeing the small blanket in his hands.

“They just finished the painting a few minutes ago so I have to sit still and let it dry.” He answered, keeping his arms around himself. “I’m starting to have second thoughts about all of this. It feels too weird.”

Yutaka came into the room, kneeling before him and holding out the blanket. “It’s small, just make sure it doesn’t touch where they painted. You’ll feel better. As for the nerves, maybe some of them will go away once your makeup is done? Is someone going to do it for you?”

Takanori took the blanket from him, holding it under his arms. It did feel better to at least be partially covered. The paint on his back was still wet and felt cold. “Thank you, Yuta. Always thinking about everyone else.” He teased. “No, I’m going to wait a bit longer then I’ll do it myself. I didn’t think anyone needed to be bothered to do it for me.”

"Well, I'd hate for you to chance messing up the paint. Why don't you let me do your makeup?" The drummer asked and Takanori could find no hint of teasing in his expression. 

"You want to… Are you sure? You're not on the payroll Yuta." Takanori tried to play it off as a joke. He wasn't sure he could handle being that close to the drummer for so long. Not that he didn't think Yutaka could handle it. In fact, other than himself, Yutaka was the only one in their band that usually did his own makeup for lives. 

Yutaka smiled, his eyes crinkling cutely at the edges. "You can owe me. Is this your stuff here?"

Takanori sighed, resigned to his fate as Yutaka picked through the makeup he had spread out on the table that served as a vanity. A chair was drug over in front of him and Yutaka handed him a few things to hold on to for him. At first it wasn't too uncomfortable. Yutaka was rather quick, especially with foundation and concealer. When he started on eye makeup Takanori felt relieved. It was much easier not to stare at the other man when he was forced to hold his eyes closed. All too soon, thanks to the drummer's steady hand and quick lines, his eyes were done and Yutaka hummed to himself as he changed his mind on a could pencils then came back to sit down. 

"I'm thinking a darker red to black. So it'll match the background a bit." He said as if waiting for Takanori to object. 

"I trust your judgment." Takanori replied quietly. 

It was impossible. He was  _ only  _ human after all. Takanori didn't even attempt to stop his eyes from roaming over Yutaka's face. From the small frown that drew his brows together to his eyes, like two pools of the darkest chocolate. He'd always been fascinated by the drummer's almost black eyes; so deep but could be so bright. Yutaka had apparently never learned to hide his emotions from his eyes. Everything he felt was right there in those dark depths. One only had to look. His gaze traced over his nose to his lips, set in a line of concentration. Takanori liked how, without makeup on, he could see the laugh lines around the other's mouth. It made his chest tight every time he heard or saw Yutaka laughing. His smile was so infectious. 

Takanori was about to embarrass himself and apologize for staring when the drummer spoke up first, knocking any thought in his head out through his ear. 

"You have the most kissable lips."

What?  _ What?! _ Takanori felt his heartrate jack up to a million, a blush spreading over his cheeks that he hoped the makeup covered. What was he supposed to say to that? He took just a moment to think what Akira might say to something like this. The bassist was quick with comebacks, but Takanori felt his voice waver a bit as he tried to channel that confidence. 

"H-how do you know that?"

Yutaka shrugged, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile. "I mean, I assume. From how soft they are."

What came out of his mouth next left Takanori wondering if maybe he should respond on autopilot more often. 

"Well, you're welcome to find out for yourself. Just to make sure."

Yutaka was full on grinning now as he put the cap back on the lipstick he'd just applied. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't really make a habit of kissing people I'm not dating."

"Oh, uh, of course." Be replied, wanting to punch himself in the face as Yutaka went about putting his supplies back on the table. "Um, could you check the paint for me? I really need to get up and walk around for awhile." He needed to get away from Yutaka before he said anything else stupid.

The drummer walked behind him, a finger lightly touching the paint on his back. “It’s pretty dry. You should be fine, just don’t let anything touch it.”

Takanori nodded, standing up and feeling his spine crack into place. He’d been sitting far too long. 

“Wait. Taka, before you go, do you have any plans for the day after tomorrow?”

Sunday? “Um, kind of. I planned to spend the evening at home. I’ve had a ton of meetings this week so I thought I’d have a night to relax. Why?”

Yutaka looked down at the brushes in his hand. “Oh, I was just going to see if you’d let me take you to dinner.”

The vocalist scoffed. It was just like Yutaka to try to thank him for basically making him work on one of their rare days off. “That’s not necessary Yuta. Thanks for the thought though. I promise to stay home and rest so I can work hard in the studio on Monday, ‘kay?”

“Of course. You need your rest. I’m gonna go talk to the photographer and see if he’s ready for you. Don’t wander off too far.” He answered with a smile and Takanori returned it before leaving the small room. The cool air in the hallway made him shiver but cleared his head a bit too. 

Ten minutes later he was called to the set and Takanori followed every direction given to him despite the fact that his thoughts kept wandering. In the beginning all he could focus on was the fact that he was half naked. It was incredibly uncomfortable and all he wanted to do was curl in on himself and run away. This was definitely not something he would do again. Even with Yutaka’s words of encouragement, he still felt so out of place. They took a few photos that were like the original drawing then he put on the red gloves that Yutaka had advised him to wear and did another round. Once he finally started to relax more thoughts swirled through his mind. Why had Yutaka asked him to dinner? It wasn’t as if Takanori had done anything that needed repaying today. In fact, shouldn’t he be the one thanking the drummer for helping him? It was a strange request that he couldn’t quite understand. 

And the timing… 

_ Just  _ after Takanori had told him it was okay to kiss him? That was awkward. And they'd never really done dinner with just the two of them before. What if someone got the wrong idea and thought it was a dat-

_ You're a damn idiot, Takanori. _

Yutaka had said he didn't kiss people he wasn't  _ dating _ . Then asked if he could take him  _ out  _ to dinner. Yutaka had asked him out on a date and he'd fucking been oblivious!! 

As soon as the photos were done and the photographer told him he could go change, Takanori thanked him politely and made a beeline for the dressing room. Yutaka was already there, a small bucket of water and a cloth sat on the table and he was putting Takanori's makeup back into its proper bag.

"Yutaka!" He shouted, just about sliding past the doorway on socked feet. 

The drummer's head snapped up. "Oh, you're done already? Are you ready to get that paint off?"

"No! I mean, yes, but first-" Takanori shook his head trying to get his thoughts straight. "I want to go out with you! I want to go to dinner."

"You do? You're sure? You said you had an evening planned. It's fine if you don't want to go." He responded, so typical of him.

"I'm sure. I'm sorry, I didn't understand what you were asking me before." He bowed his head. "I really want to go out with you on a- a date."

He heard Yutaka chuckle. “How about I pick you up around six then?”

Takanori stood up, a smile splitting his lips “How about five?”

“Five? Eager to get back home for that relaxing bath then?”

The vocalist shook his head. “No, I just don’t want to wait another hour. I have to tell you though, I haven’t been on a date in years.”

Yutaka scoffed. “Neither have I. We’ll figure it out together. Now, why don’t you come over here and I’ll help you get unpainted so you can go home?”

“That’s a good idea. It’s getting late already and now I have to figure out what to wear for a date. So many things to do, so little time.”

“You’re being a little dramatic, aren’t you?” Yutaka laughed, starting to wipe at the paint on his shoulder. 

Sunday could not come fast enough.

_____________________________________________________________

Maybe he’d spoke too soon. 

Takanori stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at the pile of clothes that had accumulated on his bed. Nothing was right. Yutaka hadn’t even told him where they were going for dinner and now he had no idea what was appropriate to wear. He figured something casual, but what if it was  _ too  _ casual? Fuck, this was stressing him out. 

And it was 4:14 PM!!

Resigned to the fact that he’d probably picked the wrong thing, Takanori picked out a long sleeved, cream colored sweater and a pair of black jeans. Even if it was too casual, at least he’d be comfortable. He finished getting dressed and put a little makeup on his face. With a sigh, he rolled his eyes at himself in the mirror. Really, he was being dramatic. It was just Yutaka. The drummer had known him for years. There was no reason to be this nervous. Except...this was a  _ date _ . A date he never expected to happen and now his hands were sweating and his mouth felt like it was filled with cotton. This was something he’d wanted to happen for years. What if he screwed it up? What if Yutaka was only doing this as a curiosity? He had no idea how the drummer felt about him. Until the photoshoot he hadn’t even shown an interest in him. Why now? 

Takanori sat down at his kitchen bar and checked his phone. He only had one message, from his photographer. The photos were ready to be reviewed. In his excitement over his date Takanori had almost forgotten about the photoshoot. He'd look at the photos later though because at that moment the doorbell rang.

Yutaka looked so comfy in a grey t-shirt, black jeans, and a long black cardigan. So maybe he had picked the right attire after all. A single yellow tulip was held out to him, given with a smile just as bright. 

"Yellow?" He asked, gently taking the flower and putting it to his nose. 

"Yellow is to signify happiness and sunshine."

Takanori was practically beaming. "I love it. Thank you. Here, come in. I'll be right back." He said, hurrying to the kitchen to put the tulip in a vase. For a moment he brushed his fingers over the sunny petals. No one had ever given him a flower before. It made him positively giddy as he went back to find Yutaka still hovering near the front door. "All set."

The restaurant Yutaka had decided on wasn't too fancy, but enough that Takanori knew he was trying. He knew the drummer didn't frequent places like this and neither did he. It left them both feeling awkward but Takanori assumed Yutaka wouldn't bring it up in fear of putting him off. They hadn't even given their orders so there was still time to bail. 

"Yuta? Do you wanna go somewhere else? This doesn't seem very…"

"Us?" The other finished his sentence and Takanori nodded. "Honestly I thought it was only me. Yeah, I think I know a place more fitting for us both. Come on."

Takanori sighed in relief as the drummer left a few notes to pay for their drinks and they hightailed it out of the building. They were both laughing as they got back into the Mercedes and before they had even left the parking lot, they’d fallen into easy conversation. This was so much better than a stuffy restaurant. 

"Where are we going now?" He asked as Yutaka maneuvered the vehicle to park at the curb. 

"Nowhere special. But it's a bit of a walk, so come on."

Yutaka came around the front of the SUV and met him on the sidewalk. He couldn't help but duck his head, feeling his face heat up  _ again _ , when the drummer reached for his hand and Takanori slid his smaller one into his grasp. Their fingers easily laced together. Like they were meant to be aligned this way. For once, Takanori didn't worry about who might see them. They were too old to be worrying about this, weren't they? If someone saw and their fans found out, they would be supportive. Takanori believed that. Sure, there might be a few who wouldn't be, but he felt the majority of them would be happy for them both. 

They'd walked maybe two blocks when Yutaka pulled him over to a food stand. They bought two small containers of takoyaki and made their way towards the edge of a fountain that had been run dry for the winter. It was funny, Takanori hadn't even noticed the chilly air. They continued the conversation from the car as they ate and before too long they were walking again. Takanori took a chance and put his arm through Yutaka's, cuddling up to his side. 

"Are you cold? We can go back to the car now if you want?"

Takanori shook his head. "Nope. I'm warm enough. Thank you for this evening Yuta. It turned out much better than it started. I was...so nervous earlier."

There was a smile in those deep brown eyes. "You aren't the only one. I changed clothes a million times and just about burned my hand on the tea kettle because I was distracted thinking about what I would say to you." He admitted. 

"Well, we both worried for nothing, didn't we?"

Now Yutaka was smiling, pulling him to a stop. The street where they were walking wasn't all that busy so they weren't in anyone's way. The sun was dipping low now, leaving their surroundings bathed in a purple haze of evening. It would be dark soon. And like they could judge the situation, the street lamps came on, light spilling over them and making the area around them seem darker. It felt secluded under the low buzz of the lights. 

"Taka?" Yutaka called to him softly, squeezing his hand, and Takanori looked up at him. His heart skipped a beat as he found himself drowning in chocolate pools once again. 

"Hm?" He made, not trusting his voice at that moment. 

He could tell Yutaka was nervous again but his gaze never left Takanori's. "Taka, would you want to go out with me, like regularly? Like date me?"

Takanori didn't even attempt to keep the grin off his face. "I think I would. But...I have to ask first. Why did you decide to ask me out the other day? Was it just a spur of the moment type thing?"

The drummer frowned. "If by spur of the moment you mean I've been trying to get up the courage to ask you out for years, then yes. Completely spontaneous."

"What? Why didn't you say something sooner?" Takanori laughed, playfully punching Yutaka's chest. "You just let me sit here and silently die every time you looked at me and wouldn't say anything to ease my suffering?"

Yutaka's eyes widened. "I didn't know! Until you offered to let me kiss you I didn't think you had any interest in me!"

Takanori tsked. "We're both idiots then. I guess that's why the others call us the dumb ones. Best not tell them about thi-" Before he could finish the sentence, Takanori found himself pulled into a hug so tight he could barely breathe, but that was fine because he was sure as hell returning it. 

__________________________

Three weeks later Takanori held a copy of the poster in his hands. They'd been finished just in time to be shipped out on his birthday and this was the  _ second  _ batch! The pre-order had been a huge demand that he hadn't foreseen. 

The photos had come out gorgeous, even to him. The makeup the painter had used to cover his tattoos wasn't even noticeable but it did look strange to him since he was so used to seeing them. Yutaka had even coerced him into reading a few of the comments under the initial release photo and he'd been shocked by the positive praise. That evening, when his boyfriend had gone home, Takanori had gone back through his Instagram, reading random comments on his posts. The ones he'd done for his clothing line surprised him the most. Comments that read he should wear makeup less often, that he looked beautiful without it. He let those words warm him from the inside out. Maybe...maybe he would start being more comfortable with himself. 

"What are you doing there?"

Takanori looked up as Yutaka sat a mug of tea down on the coffee table and took a seat next to him. 

"This is the poster I want to personally send the artist. The one that drew the artwork I used. But I looked through her posts and I don't think she speaks Japanese. I wanted to write something on the back. You write English fairly well. Could you help?"

With Yutaka’s help, as well as a translating app, they had finished his handwritten note on the back of the poster in a little over an hour. It wasn’t pretty by any means, but Takanori was convinced that the artist would be able to read it at least. 

When they were finished, he placed the poster on the coffee table and leaned back on the sofa against his boyfriend’s shoulder. It felt so damn  _ good  _ to call Yutaka that. The last few weeks had been unthinkably beautiful. They went about their days like normal, nothing had really changed, except for the fleeting touches, kisses pressed into his hair and arms wrapped around his shoulders whenever they had a few moments. The rest of the guys hadn’t been surprised at all and seemed happy for them, which put Takanori even more at ease about the situation. They’d even decided that if they made it to six months, they would tell the fans somehow too, and neither of them had any reason to believe that they wouldn’t. 

“Hey Yuta, you know what I just realized?” He asked, brushing his fingertips along his boyfriend’s palm. 

“That you really should take some lessons in English?” 

“Very funny. I know. I’ll find the time sooner or later. But no, I realized that in a few days we will have been together for a month and you still haven’t kissed me.”

He felt Yutaka take a deep breath. “Well...after that talk we had about me not kissing people I’m not dating, I didn’t want you to think that I asked you out for that reason. So I thought I would wait until the time felt right. It’s not like you have initiated any kissing either.” Yutaka replied, leaning down to nuzzle his shoulder. 

That was true. “I didn’t want to push. I figured it would happen when it was supposed to, but I kind of want it to happen. So what if right now was the  _ right  _ time?”

Yutaka didn’t say anything. He got up from the sofa though, only to kneel in front of him on the floor. Big, warm, hands were lifted to frame his face and Takanori’s heart started beating erratically in his chest. His eyes fell closed without a thought and heat spread through his chest as their lips finally met. He could tell that Yutaka had meant for it to be a sweet, gentle kiss, but the tension between them had been building for too long. Within moments the drummer had him laid back on the sofa, pressing him down into the cushions. Takanori grabbed the pillow from behind him and flung it away, hearing it skid across the coffee table and just knew he’d ruined that poster, but he couldn’t even begin to care. Not when Yutaka’s tongue was asking for entrance past his lips and he was all too willing to allow it. Their hands were everywhere, rumpling clothes, tangling hair, and it felt too good. It was Yutaka who finally pulled away, giving them space to breathe and cool off. It was necessary though neither of them wanted to admit it. They had time, nothing needed to be rushed right now. 

Takanori was grinning though, noticing how Yutaka’s hair was sticking up where his own hands hand been yanking on it, attempting to get the drummer’s lips back on his when they’d descended down his throat. 

“Well, that was...worth the wait.” He teased, pushing his shirt back down from where the other had bunched it up. 

“I think I’m gonna go take an icy shower now though.” Yutaka chuckled. “I’m going to grab a beer, you want one?”

Takanori nodded, saying a thank you and watching him leave the room. The bent up corner of the poster caught his eye and he grabbed it from the floor. Only a bit had been crumpled, nothing serious, but Takanori took the pen and turned it over to write in the bent space. He hoped the artist had a way to translate his words. She’d have to use her imagination to guess what he meant, but she’d get it for sure once they officially announced they were together. Takanori smiled, she’d probably blush as much as he was now. 

_ Sorry about the damage. _

_ Kai-san couldn’t keep his hands to himself. _

_ Ruki. _


End file.
